Last checked October 15, 2026
Best Free Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator (2026)
Illustrator is bezier art, type, and SVG or PDF out. The AI file is the thing that does not travel. SVG and PDF do.
What Adobe Illustrator costs
Paid plans exist. A current dollar figure is not copied into this listing.
Ranked by Drop-in score
How we rank#1 is the highest-scoring alternative that is not sponsored. A featured listing, when one is sold, is labeled and sits after #1.
- 100#1Open sourceReview notes
Inkscape
A GPL vector editor for illustrations and logos.
Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-2.0
MacWindowsLinux - 92#2Open sourceReview notes
Penpot
Open-source design and prototyping, with a free cloud.
Last checked October 15, 2026 · MPL-2.0
WebSelf-host - 76#3Open sourceReview notes
Scribus
Open-source desktop publishing.
Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-2.0
MacWindowsLinux - 68#4Open sourceReview notes
LibreOffice
A desktop suite that opens Office files.
Last checked October 15, 2026 · MPL-2.0
MacWindowsLinux - 37#5Open sourceReview notes
Krita
An open-source painting and illustration app.
Last checked October 15, 2026 · GPL-3.0
MacWindowsLinuxAndroid
Feature by feature
Full is the whole job. Partial is a real version with a gap. Missing means it does not do this. Not checked counts as zero in the score.
| Feature | Inkscape#1 · 100 | Penpot#2 · 92 | Scribus#3 · 76 | LibreOffice#4 · 68 | Krita#5 · 37 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vectors and curvesWeight 10 | Full | Full | Partial | Partial | Missing |
| Open and save SVGWeight 8 | Full | Full | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Type on a pathWeight 6 | Full | Partial | Full | Partial | Missing |
| LayersWeight 6 | Full | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Export PDF or printWeight 8 | Full | Full | Full | Full | Partial |
Real cost
Inkscape
- Free tier
- The application is free.
- Hosted plan
- No hosted price recorded.
- Self-hosting
- Not a self-hosted product. Desktop application.
Penpot
- Free tier
- Penpot Cloud has a $0 plan. Self-hosting the same software is free.
- Hosted plan
- Unlimited editors are listed at $7/editor/month, capped at $175/month. A Business plan is $25/member/month.
- Self-hosting
- Moderate. Docker Compose is documented and heavier than a single-container app. Fine for a design team, not a five-minute install. Approximate server cost: $15–40/mo. Unverified estimate.
Scribus
- Free tier
- The application is free.
- Hosted plan
- No hosted price recorded.
- Self-hosting
- Not a self-hosted product. Desktop application.
LibreOffice
- Free tier
- The desktop apps are free to download.
- Hosted plan
- No hosted price recorded.
- Self-hosting
- Not a self-hosted product. The desktop apps are not a server. Collabora Online is the browser version.
Krita
- Free tier
- The application is free.
- Hosted plan
- No hosted price recorded.
- Self-hosting
- Not a self-hosted product. Desktop and Android app. Nothing to host.
Top pair
Migrate from Adobe Illustrator to Inkscape
Save a copy as SVG for art you will edit, and PDF for art you will only print.
Read the migration guide